Lawmakers Urge Trump Administration to Halt $1.35 Billion Barred Owl Removal Plan

A bipartisan group questions the ethics, cost, and feasibility of a federal strategy to protect endangered spotted owls by killing invasive barred owls.

• The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Barred Owl Management Strategy aims to kill 450,000 barred owls over 30 years to protect endangered northern spotted owls in the Pacific Northwest.
• Nineteen bipartisan lawmakers sent a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on March 7, calling for the plan to be halted, citing an estimated $1.35 billion cost and ethical concerns.
• Critics argue that the plan lacks precedent for success, is an inefficient use of taxpayer funds, and involves the mass killing of a native species expanding its range naturally.
• Supporters, including conservationists, warn that barred owls pose a severe threat to northern spotted owls, which have seen significant population declines due to competition and habitat displacement.
• The plan has faced legal challenges from animal welfare groups, who claim it violates environmental laws, while proponents highlight successful pilot studies demonstrating its potential effectiveness.

3 Articles

USA TODAY Los Angeles Times